Annunciator.



No. 785,424, y PATENTED MAR. 2l, 1905.

` A. T. n W. L. INGRAM.

ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLIOATIO; FILED Nov. 11. 1904.

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No. 785,424. PATENTBD MAR. 2l, 1905.

\ A. T. & W. L. INGRAM.

ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.1l. 1904.

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aucun# UNITED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIE T. INGRAM AND WALTER L. INGRAM, OF DOCTORTOWTN, GEORGIA.

ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,424, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed November 11, 1904. Serial No. 232,336.

T0 all wwnt rit may concern.' n

Be it known that we, ARCI-11n T. INGRAM and WALTER L. INGRAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Doctor-town, in the county of Wayne and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annunciators; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of `reference marked thereon, which form a part `of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in annunciators; and the object of the invention is to produce a simple and eiicient device for indicating for various purposes-such as announcing the number of hymns in churches, the displaying of numbers, characters. letters, or designs at stations, (Knef-and comprises a band or bands adapted to have a weight secured to corresponding' ends thereof and passing over pulleys, said bands being provided with a number, letter, or other character which is is desired to expose at a sight-aperture, means being provided for raising or lowering the band carrying the letter, numeral, or character and holding' the same so as to be disclosed at the sight-aperture.

The invention consists in various other details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and then speciiieally defined in the appended claim.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved annunciating apparatus complete. F ig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the casing of the annunciator, showing parts in elevation. Fig. 3 is a view of a modiiied form of annuneiator. Fig. i is a detail view showing the manner of attachment of one of the bands to a chain or rope connected therewith, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a casing containing one or more movable bands upon which numerals, letters, or characters are adapted to be positioned when used for various purposes. Said casing is hollow and. is provided with a pin B, extending through the upper portion thereof, said pin being supported in the end walls of the casing. There a plurality of indicating-bands are to be employed, a roller C is provided for each band, said rollers being journalcd .upon the pin B.

D D designate bands which may be of any kind of fabric and of a width preferably the length of the roller@ and of asufficient width to have a play between the division-partitions E of the casing'. Each of said bands passes over a roller C, and each has secured to a corresponding end a weight F. (Shown clearly in the sectional view of the drawings.) The object of said weight is to cause the end of the tape to which it is secured to be drawn by gravity to the lower end of the casing. Each of said bands after passing over a roller Chas its other end secured to a cross-piece H, having a wire I fastened at its ends to said cross-piece and bent at its longitudinal center to form an eye K, and L designates a chain or cord which is fastened to said eye and passes through an aperture in the bottom of the casing. A ring N is fastened to the end of said chain or cord and is adapted to be held in an adjusted. position upon the hookcarrying board O. Said board O is provided with a series of pins O, which may be angular or straight, and each of said pins is adapted to be engaged by said ring. It will be noted that said pins are spaced apart, and each one is designed to correspond with a certain numeral, letter, or character upon the band which it operates. A sight-aperture 1) is formed in the front wall of the casing, at which the character to be disclosed may be seen.

1n Fig. 8 of the drawings we have shown a slightly-modified form of annunciator in which a single roller is provided in a projecting portion of the casing, in which modiiication the roller (designated in the drawings by letter Q) is longer than the rollers B. A band Q', passing over said roller Q, has a weight R secured to one end thereof, while the other end IOO of the band after passing over the roller Q is secured to a chain or rope R', which may be held by means of a hook in Various positions. The modiiied form oi' annunciator in which the Wide roller is shown is provided for the purpose of disclosing, for instance, the name ci a hymn, or of a station, if the device is used as a station-indicator, or for any other purpose in Which a plurality of numerals or letters is desired to be disclosed at the sight-aperture Q2.

The operation of our annunciator is simple and will be readily understood when taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of our application. When it is desired to cause a certain numeral, letter, or character to be disclosed at the sight-aperture, the operator merely causes the ring N to engage one of the pins upon the board O, which pin corresponds to the letter, numeral, or character which is to be disclosed at the sightaperture. lt is our purpose to number, as stated, the Various pins upon the board O to conform in regular order to the letters, numerals, or other characters which appear upon the bands. 1t will be observed upon reference to the pin-carrying board that We have placed the words Duett, Solo, and Voluntary upon the board to indicate that the pins adjacent to said words are such as to be engaged by the rings for indicating the Words at the sight-aperture.

It will be observed that by the provision of the annunciating apparatus shown and described a Very simple and eiiicient means is aorded for displaying a character or' any kind and for any purpose, the disclosures at the sight-aperture being readily made Without the necessity of the operator looking through the sight-aperture in adjusting the same, as the pins O will serve the purpose of guide to the operator in disclosing' thc correct character at the sight aperture or apertures.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ise- An annunciator comprising a casing, a 11umeral or letter carrying band mounted within the casing, a cross-piece fastened to one end of said band, a bail secured to the end of said cross-piece, a chain secured to said bail and guided through an aperture in the bottom of the casing, a vertical series ol hooks adapted to be engaged by said chain, said hooks being in alinement with said chain and aperture through which it passes, and a weight vfastened to thc other end of the said band, as set forth.

ln testimony whereof we hereunto aliix our signatures in presence ol two witnesses.

ARCHIE T. INGRAM. lVALTER L. 1N Gli/XM.

Vitnesses:

ROBERT L. BENNETT, M. W. TENDALL. 

